Mel Allen

Mel Allen is the editor of Yankee Magazine, only the fifth editor in Yankee’s nearly 90-year history. In 2018, Mel was inducted into the Folio Hall of Fame for Editorial Excellence, an honor that speaks to the respect Mel commands within the magazine industry. Mel’s career at Yankee spans more than four decades, and he has written for every department in the magazine. In his pursuit of stories, he has raced a sled dog team, crawled into the dens of black bears, fished with the legendary Ted Williams, and embedded with the Bath Iron Works ship launching crew in the days before they sent a battleship down the ways. He is particularly drawn to profiles, especially of those who have overcome extraordinary challenges.

Mel has taught magazine writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, as well as leading workshops on the editor-writer relationship and creative nonfiction. Mel is author of A Coach’s Letter to His Son. His columns and features have been finalists for the City and Regional Magazine Awards, and he has served as both a feature writing and profile writing judge for the National Magazine Awards, where he has the opportunity to weigh in on many of the best nonfiction long form narratives to appear in magazines each year. Nothing gives him more pleasure than to publish new writers. He lives and writes in New Hampshire.

Please visit the MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing program page to learn about the curriculum, faculty, program options, and more.